Moistening pads



Dec. 12, 1967 K. LORBER 3,357,395

MOISTENING PADS Filed Sept. 30, 1965 IN V EN TOR.

Kur t. LOVBQY' BY Smxrow am! 3 a ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,357,395 MOISTENING PADS Kurt Lorher, Aichelherg, Kreis Essiingen, Germany Filed Sept. 30, 1965, Ser. No. 491,662 Claims priority, application Germany, Oct. 2, 1964, L 48,930 3 Claims. (Cl. 118-466) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A sponge pad for moistening gummed surfaces or for wetting a finger; a water container which can be sufficiently compressed in order to moisten the pad which is mounted on top of the container; a riser tube in the container, reaching almost to the bottom of the container, which carries the water upwardly to the sponge pad when the container is compressed.

The invention relates to a pad for moistening gummed surfaces such as stamps, or for wetting the finger for turning over sheets.

Simple pads are known into which are fitted detachable pieces of sponge. The total quantity of water available is equal to the capacity of the sponge. The sponge is exposed to air, dries out comparatively quickly, must frequently be removed from its case, and allowed to absorb its capacity of water.

The invention has the object of avoiding this frequent maintenance.

According to the present invention a moistening pad comprises a water container of resiliently flexible material and a cover adapted to be screwed on to a neck thereof and having a central aperture adapted to receive a discshaped piece of sponge whose periphery is secured, together with a plate carrying a riser tube dipping into the water container, between the cover and the end face of the neck of the water container.

This makes it possible to use a comparatively large amount of water which is available for a long time because it is practically under airtight closure and cannot evaporate. If the surface of the sponge exposed to the air is too dry, a slight pressure on the top of the cover is sufficient to reduce the volume of the water container elastically. This compresses the air above the water level and water is expelled upwardly through the riser tube and supplied to the sponge.

The invention will be further described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a moistening pad according to the invention and FIG. 2 is an axial section thereof.

Referring to the drawing, a moistening pad is provided with a thin walled water container 1 made of a resiliently flexible material, preferably a thermoplastic synthetic resin, for example by blow moulding, having an external screw thread on its upwardly extending neck 2. In the embodiment illustrated the side wall of the container 1 is of bellows-like form enabling it to be compressed considerably in the axial direction.

A plate shaped cover 3 has a central collar 4 with an internal screw thread adapted to be screwed on to the neck 2 of the container 1. In the embodiment illustrated the cover 3 also has a downwardly extending skirt 5 extending flush with the periphery of the container 1, so that a closed box is formed.

In its center within the flange 4 the cover 3 has an aperture 6 having a smaller diameter than the internal diameter of the collar 4. The aperture 6 is closed by a 3,357,395 Patented Dec. 12, 1967 disc-shaped piece of sponge 7, the diameter of which is substantially equal to the internal diameter of the collar 4. The sponge 7 is fixed together with a solid disc 8 having the same diameter between the annular lip 12 of the aperture 6 at the inside of the cover 3 and the end face of the neck 2 of the water container 1. In its centre the disc 8 has a narrow bore 9 continuing in a socket 10 over which is pushed a tube 11 of flexing material extending substantially to the bottom of the water container 1 when the cover is fitted.

When water is to be supplied to the sponge 7, a slight downward pressure is exerted on the cover 3. This compresses the container 1 and causes the air above the water level to be compressed. This compressed air pushes the water up the tube 11 through the narrow bore 9 into the sponge 7 resting flatly against the disc 8 and bulging convexly through the cover aperture 6. The narrow bore restricts the flow of water so that sudden flooding of the sponge 7 may be avoided. To prevent excess water from running along the outside of the container the upper surface of the cover is of concave configuration. The pressure balance between the ambient air and the water container is effected by the expansion of the container and the unavoidable but negligible small leaks whereby also water pushed through the sponge may be drawn back into the container 1.

I claim:

1. A pad for wetting gummed surfaces such as stamps or for wetting a finger for turning over sheets, characterized by a water container of resiliently flexible materials, said container having a bellows-like wall, said container having a neck with an external screw thread therein, a cover having a central aperture, a lip surrounding said aperture at the inside of said cover and an internal screw thread surrounding said aperture and threadedly receiving said neck, a disc-shaped piece of sponge the periphery of which rests against said lip of said aperture at the inside of said cover, a disc resting against said sponge inwardly thereof, the sponge and the disc being clamped together between the lip of said aperture and the end of said neck, said disc having a hole therethrough, and a riser tube dipping into the water container and carried by said disc in communication with said hole therethrough,

2. A paid according to claim 1, in which said hole through said disc constitutes a narrow throttle bore for passing Water to the sponge.

3. A pad according to claim 1 wherein said cover has an upper surface which slopes downwardly inwardly towards said sponge.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 958,149 5/ 1910 Metzner 118--265 1,949,976 3/1934 Runnels l55 65 2,095,423 10/ 1937 Tilley 15-565 2,418,035 3/ 1947 Lachapelle 15579 X 2,587,382 2/1952 Pyne 15-541 2,716,250 8/ 1955 Deakers 15-543 2,752,069 6/ 1956 Welsh 118-265 FOREIGN PATENTS 60,493 3/ 1913 Austria. 16,141 10/ 1889 Great Britain.

688,352 3/ 1953 Great Britain.

345,868 6/ 1960 Switzerland.

DANIEL BLUM, Primary Examiner. 

1. A PAD FOR WETTING GUMMED SURFACES SUCH AS STAMPS OR FOR WETTING A FINGER FOR TURNING OVER SHEETS, CHARACTERIZED BY A WATER CONTAINER OF RESILIENTLY FLEXIBLE MATERIALS, SAID CONTAINER HAVING A BELLOWS-LIKE WALL, SAID CONTAINER HAVING A NECK WITH AN EXTERNAL SCREW THREAD THEREIN, A COVER HAVING A CENTRAL APERTURE, A LIP SURROUNDING SAID APERTURE AT THE INSIDE OF SAID COVER AND AN INTERNAL SCREW THREAD SURROUNDING SAID APERTURE AND THREADEDLY RECEIVING SAID NECK, A DISC-SHAPED PIECE OF SPONGE THE PERIPHERY OF WHICH RESTS AGAINST SAID LIP OF SAID APERTURE AT THE INSIDE OF SAID COVER, A DISC RESTING AGAINST SAID SPONGE INWARDLY THEREOF, THE SPONGE AND THE DISC BEING CLAMPED TOGETHER BETWEEN THE LIP OF SAID APERTURE AND THE END OF SAID NECK, SAID DISC HAVING A HOLE THERETHROUGH, AND A RISER TUBE DIPPING INTO THE WATER CONTAINER AND CARRIED BY SAID DISC IN COMMUNICATION WITH SAID HOLE THERETHROUGH. 